# What am I doing wrong?! (butane lighter issues)



## StogieNinja

First, let me say I'm _remarkably_ mechanically uninclined. I am _completely_ retarded when it comes to understanding how things work. So if you can answer any of the below questions, please answer them like you're talking to a 10 year old. I need it _that_ basic!

OK, so I have four lighters, and not a single one works.

First, I have two Ronsons and a Thunderbird zippo insert torch lighter. I've filled them all with Ronson butane and had nothing but problems.

I did some research, and purged the lighters by holding down on the nozzle until there was no more sound or spray. Then I used a Xikar premium butane can to fill them each up. But they still each do the same thing: they will shoot a burst of flame which immediately goes out, and then nothing. Over, and over, and over. Every once in a while I'll get a sustained flame, and then once it goes out, I click over and over and just get the one burst of flame.

So I have a few questions:
1. When you're filling a lighter, how do you know it's full? The Xikar instructions say to press and hold for 3-4 seconds and repeat until full. I repeated probably ten times. Is that enough?
2. Do I need to do more to purge besides pressing and holding the nozzle until nothing more comes out?
3. Will cold affect the lighter's performance? I noticed they all seemed to work briefly when I first filled them, but not a single one would work when I was outside trying to actually use the darn thing.
4. Are there other possibilities that could cause all three of these lighters to not function? Am I missing something?

Second, I have a beautiful Xikar Flintfire lighter that Kapathy so generously bombed me with. My wife tried to light it when I wasn't there, and it didn't light, so she slid the slide on top, which I think is the safety, and now the side dial just turns without sparking at all regardless of the position of the slide on top. Anyone ever own one of these and have an issue with it not sparking?

Thanks in advance!


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## szyzk

It's possible the butane lighters are clogged. My Blazer stopped lighting earlier this summer and I had to take the whole thing apart and use canned air to clean everything. Since then it's worked perfectly.

Your best bet is to get a small screwdriver and start tearing things apart. Take photos or write down instructions while you're doing it so you can be sure to put everything back. Long story short, at some point you'll find a long tube that allows the gas to travel from the reservoir to the igniter, that's probably what's clogged.


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## Qball

Are you adjusting the flow on the bottom? There should be a little screw or knob with an arrow indiciating + one way, and - the other way

Always fill with it set all the way to '-' (lowest flame setting)

Purge.. let rest... purge

Fill... let rest for 3-5 minutes... fill again... let rest

Then adjust the little flame adjustment screw to the 1/2 way point.


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## StogieNinja

Perhaps the rest will help, I haven't done that. Ill give it a go, then if that doesn't work, I'll start taking it apart! Dunno how to get a Ronson apart, so I'll pray the rest in between purges and filling works!!!

Anyone know if the cold affects performance?


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## KcJason1

Take the xikar to any dealer.. They must replace it on the spot per xikar dealer rules! 

But as far as filling them. You should only need to add fuel 1-2 times tops before their tanks are full.


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## anonobomber

Aninjaforallseasons said:


> Perhaps the rest will help, I haven't done that. Ill give it a go, then if that doesn't work, I'll start taking it apart! Dunno how to get a Ronson apart, so I'll pray the rest in between purges and filling works!!!
> 
> Anyone know if the cold affects performance?


Cold definitely affects performance of a lighter. Most of the time I smoke I'm out in my hot tub and it's pretty cold out lately so my lighters quit working after being out there for about 15 minutes. To get them working again I hold the reservoir portion of the lighter under the warm water for 15-30 seconds and it brings them back to life. If you've been smoking out in the weather we've been having then you're going to have an issue. When you're not using the lighter keep it in your pocket so it stays warm and then you shouldn't have an issue.

Butane in a lighter works in much the same way as water works. It's going to evaporate much more effectively at a higher temperature. The lower the temperature the lower the vapor pressure and vice versa. Without the higher vapor pressure you have nothing to drive out the butane through the burner on your lighter so there's no fuel to cause the flame.


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## Don_in_Texas

I was having pretty much the same problem with one of my lighters. It's one of those big, clunky, Lotus table models. Burst of flame, then nothing. I was thinking it was clogged, but it turned out that it just didn't like the nozzle adapter that I was using. I ended up having to just fill it without using an adapter at all. I get a little gas escaping around the nozzle while filling it, but it mostly goes into the fuel tank. No problems after that. One way you could tell if the fuel is actually going into the tank is to try purging it shortly after you fill it. If hardly any gas comes back out then you'll know that you're not getting fuel into the tank.


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## MarkC

Qball said:


> Are you adjusting the flow on the bottom? There should be a little screw or knob with an arrow indiciating + one way, and - the other way
> 
> Always fill with it set all the way to '-' (lowest flame setting)


This is the step I was skipping when I had this problem with my Old Boy pipe lighter; works great now.


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## Hannibal

It sounds to me that you have the flame either to high or to low. If you get the burst and then nothing it would seem to me that it's to low. So look at the bottom of the lighter and turn the screw a little bit in the direction of the "+" and it should do better. If not turn it some more. Use little increments don't just go for wide open right off the bat.


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## ShortFuse

Derek, yes temperature does effect the lighters. Try keeping it in your pocket so it is a little warmer than the ambient temp.


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## asmartbull

The is also a chance that the way you are purging could be the problem.
Get a WOOD skewer or something similar and depress the filler valve....wait a few seconds and repeat.
Wood is important because it won't change the shape of the nozzle..



The fact that is is happening to all you lighters makes me think "user error"........Purging is often the problem.
It is also a good idea to put the lighter and bottle of butane in the fig for 15 minutes before filling....


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## TonyBrooklyn

Click on this link the next to last post is by a former member.
http://www.cigarforums.net/forums/vb/cigar-accessory-discussion/278371-fueling-blazer.html
We are not allowed to mention banned members names. If you do a search under his name he has posted many times a great way to fill lighters that is foolproof. So good is the technique that i emptied out my draw once filled according to his post. They all started working.:thumb:


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## jimbo1

lighter and butane in the frig? have not heard of that, will try, do you purge then put in frig then fill? is that the order? I really only use Ronsen lighters, I'd can afford to lose a $3 lighter.......thanks for the tips.


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## CraigJS

Lighter in frig/freezer to drop the internal pressure allowing the gas butane to more readly return to a liquid state. (allows for greater volume of butane to be in the lighters tank.) Lighter flame height set to lowest setting. Lighter nozzle pointing UP. Butane tank at least room temp, allowing a higher internal supply pressure. (this helps to force as much butane into the lower pressured lighter tank as possible.) Fill with tank nozzle pointing DOWN. Allow to warm to room/body temp, adjust flame to mid point on adjuster.


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## MaxTheBunny

Hey Derek. IVe got your answer for the butanes at least. Both ronson and xikar make horrible butane. Get vector. Once you do , do the following

1) purge your lighters by pressing the nossle. Even after the first time wait a minute or two and purge again. Repeat this process until you no longer here e hiss of purging after waiting a few minutes. 
2 use vector to fill the lighter. Once full you will see the vector can spray at the nozzle. Is is normal. To be sure press down a few more times to try and get any air bubbles out and butane in
3 let lighter sit at room temp for 10 mins. If you don't wait oh could have problems because the butane isn't stable

The biggest thing is to not use ronson or xikar


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## StogieNinja

Aww man... I thought Xikar was supposed to be one of the best ones! Looks like I'll be buying more butane... Again!

Ok, so i did the purge/wait/purge, fill/wait/fill thing, and then I did try turning the flame up a little. All three seem to be working right now... Hopefully it stays fixed! Thanks all.


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## KcJason1

asmartbull said:


> The is also a chance that the way you are purging could be the problem.
> Get a WOOD skewer or something similar and depress the filler valve....wait a few seconds and repeat.
> Wood is important because it won't change the shape of the nozzle..
> 
> The fact that is is happening to all you lighters makes me think "user error"........Purging is often the problem.
> It is also a good idea to put the lighter and bottle of butane in the fig for 15 minutes before filling....


Lol.. Great idea. Wonder of the freezer would work as well? You must be an old racer who has used nitrous a time or two!


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## KcJason1

Aninjaforallseasons said:


> Aww man... I thought Xikar was supposed to be one of the best ones! Looks like I'll be buying more butane... Again!
> 
> Ok, so i did the purge/wait/purge, fill/wait/fill thing, and then I did try turning the flame up a little. All three seem to be working right now... Hopefully it stays fixed! Thanks all.


Xikar says 99% of defective lighters that get returned are due to clogging issues.. They say if you always run xikar fuel you should not have a problem.. They talked like they had researched it. I have always run xikar fuel and have never had an issue.


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## lebz

Hey Derek what I have done with my issues... is 

1) Upgraded my Butane to Colibri (I was using some stuff from the corner store)
2) Purge it all out
3) Crank the flam adjust valve to the lowest
4) Stick that Butane can upside down into the valve and push down a few times. You'll know its full when you can feel/hear it splash back out

5) Adjust valve and I was rocking


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## lebz

lebz said:


> Hey Derek what I have done with my issues... is
> 
> 1) Upgraded my Butane to Colibri (I was using some stuff from the corner store)
> 2) Purge it all out
> 3) Crank the flam adjust valve to the lowest
> 4) Stick that Butane can upside down into the valve and push down a few times. You'll know its full when you can feel/hear it splash back out
> 
> 5) Adjust valve and I was rocking


Sorry after you fill wait a few minutes then spark it up


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## Marlboro Cigars-cl

Lose the Ronson fluid - Vector Quintuplus brought my old lighters that I thought were broken back to life. :tu


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## StogieNinja

Well, turns out the cold was the primary factor, the -/+ setting the other. 

I've used the Thunderbird Zippo insert several times without issue. The Ronsons still weren't working, but I turned the flame to the middle, and both work like champs now!

Thanks for your help all!

Oh, and I just mailed in the Xikar. That thing wasn't even sparking


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## Belligerent_Cupcake

Aninjaforallseasons said:


> Well, turns out the cold was the primary factor, the -/+ setting the other.
> 
> I've used the Thunderbird Zippo insert several times without issue. The Ronsons still weren't working, but I turned the flame to the middle, and both work like champs now!
> 
> Thanks for your help all!
> 
> Oh, and I just mailed in the Xikar. That thing wasn't even sparking


Glad you got them figured out! We had huge problems with our lighters last winter because of the cold, too. I'm glad you posted your questions because I learned a ton of useful tips here too!


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## miket156

> by Maxthebunny:
> 
> Hey Derek. IVe got your answer for the butanes at least. Both ronson and xikar make horrible butane. Get vector. Once you do , do the following


Amen. Don't use Ronson Butane! Vector Butane works great. Its been filtered something like 5 times, so it won't clog your lighter.

I'm happy to hear you got most of your lighters to work!

Mike T.


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## ginomontreal

Qball said:


> Are you adjusting the flow on the bottom? There should be a little screw or knob with an arrow indiciating + one way, and - the other way
> 
> Always fill with it set all the way to '-' (lowest flame setting)
> 
> Purge.. let rest... purge
> 
> Fill... let rest for 3-5 minutes... fill again... let rest
> 
> Then adjust the little flame adjustment screw to the 1/2 way point.


I do all lighter refills (Ronson lighters also) exactly like this, and it always works perfectly.

just a side note i had someone i know once fill up my lighter and i had the same problem you had with the burst of flame. That's when i realized that it helps when the adjustment knob at the bottom of lighter, must be at "min" (-) when refilling butane.

i hope you get your problem resolved.


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## imported_Mike_E

I went through the same thing with my Blue Rhino throttle lighter and tried everything. I finally gave up and just went out and bought a new lighter.

These torches must have like a shelf life for x-amount of time before they're rendered useless. Anyone have their lighter for more than 2 years?


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